


Forest Love and Lass

by benofie



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Closure, F/M, Gendrya - Freeform, True Love, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-05-31 01:11:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19415377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/benofie/pseuds/benofie
Summary: It is finally Arya and Gendry's wedding day and all of their friends and family have traveled to Storm's End for the occasion.





	1. The Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> I can't tell you how thrilling it was to write their wedding! I SO wish we could have really had this or something like this on the show. 
> 
> This story follows on events set up in Lady's Bane and Stone by Stone, Chapter 1: Jitters.
> 
> NOTE: This chapter is 100% Gendrya fanfic. Apologies for any confusion regarding other tags used when first posted. 
> 
> Much thanks to Dystopian_Dramaqueen, vellaword, and @Valsore (on Tumblr) for proofreading this for me and providing much needed feedback!!

It is called Storm’s End for a reason. Hardly a day or evening passes without storming weather of some kind… howling winds, torrents of rain… However, on this day it was as though the storms themselves took a rest as a wedding gift to their lord. The clouds broke, the sun shone, the howling winds turned to a gentle breeze and the rain took its leave for the occasion. People spoke of the miraculously beautiful weather all day long. 

Anyone Arya and Gendry considered to be friends or family had been invited to their wedding and everyone they invited made the journey to Storm’s End. 

Queen Sansa had joined with her brother, King Bran at King’s Landing and they traveled to Storm’s End together along with Ser Brienne and Ser Podrick, Tyrion, Sam and Gilly and their children, and even Bronn. 

It had been difficult to get word to Jon about his sister’s wedding. Even if they sent a raven to Castle Black, no one was entirely sure where Jon was North of the Wall. Arya had asked Bran if there was anything he could do. As the Three-Eyed Raven, he had been able to locate where Jon was and warg into a raven to send word to Jon. Jon would’ve needed the most time to make the journey so the timing of the wedding had been chosen to align with Jon’s arrival. This was especially important to Arya because she wanted her brother to give her away. 

Jon surprised everyone by bringing his lovely wife, Val, a Wildling woman with beautiful long, honey-blonde hair. They had married about a year ago and she was 5 months pregnant with their first child. Tormund arrived with them having heard there was a chance "the big woman" might also be there.

Even Hot Pie was able to come. He arrived a couple days early because his gift to his old friends was going to be to help with the food. In particular, he baked dozens of loaves of bread in the shapes of wolves and stags. He told his old travel companions he wasn’t surprised they had fallen in love and were getting married, “I always wondered a bit about you two, even back then,” he said, this had just made Arya and Gendry smile. 

There was plenty of room in the castle for all of their guests to stay a night or two. They were all told to join them on their happy day and eat, drink, and be merry to their heart’s content. 

Gendry had insisted that both Stark and Baratheon banners be hung around the courtyard, where the feast would be held after the ceremony. Extra torches had been placed around the dining tables and also in a circle around an area for music and dancing. Gendry also made clear, in no uncertain terms, to anyone who would listen that there would be _no_ bedding ceremony and every person who he told clearly understood there would be hell to pay if _anyone_ did not honor his request.

~~~~~

“Arya, you look beautiful, I hardly recognize you!” Jon said, then immediately tried to correct himself, “I mean, you’re always…. I just have never seen you wear a proper dress before!”

“Don’t get used to it.” Arya smirked. But she looked pleased, and happy. Arya’s wedding dress had been a gift from her sister. Sansa had taken great care to sew a dress especially for Arya which would suit her younger sister’s style, yet still be lovely and appropriate for her wedding. It was a simple, white frock with short sleeves and a billowing skirt down to her ankles and a tasteful leather bodice around her waist, laced up the front. Woven throughout her skirts were cords of black, gold, and grey to represent all colors of both the Stark and Baratheon houses, around her shoulders draped her maiden cloak. Arya wore her hair down, she had even allowed Sansa to curl it “just this once” and Sansa had fashioned a simple crown of white and yellow wildflowers for her to wear. Arya truly looked lovely, and still very much like herself.

Arya and Jon faced each other with their hands clasped on the far end of the godswood, just out of sight of the crowd standing around the weirwood tree. Jon was smiling at her, “are you ready?”

Arya smiled back at him, “Yes...” there was not a doubt in her mind. This actually surprised Arya a little bit. When she was young, marriage, becoming the lady to a lord of a castle, having his children and being tied to castle life and rigid tradition had absolutely terrified her. And even when Gendry had first asked her to marry him, it had terrified her still. But she no longer felt any lingering foreboding because she knew this life would never become what she had once feared. She had fallen in love with a man who loved her exactly as she was. And she knew when he had told her that their life could be whatever she wanted it to be, he meant it. And suddenly, having children of her own no longer filled her with dread. It excited her, even. She had always loved her own family so much, and the idea of starting a new family with the man she loved felt right to her now. 

“I like him...” Jon said, speaking about Gendry, “I think father would have liked him too.”

Arya smiled thoughtfully and maybe a little sadly, “Yes, he would have.” Suddenly her father’s words echoed in her head, _“Someone who’s brave and gentle and strong…”_ Yes, she thought, her father would have liked Gendry very much.

They heard the music begin to play over by the weirwood tree, their cue to begin their approach. Jon and Arya smiled at each other one last time, Jon lifted her hands to his lips, tears shining in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something but was too overwhelmed to do so. Arya just nodded, she understood. They linked their arms and began to walk toward the music.

As they rounded a corner and came into view of the guests gathered around the tree, Arya felt her first bit of nerves, happy butterflies, fluttering in her belly, just knowing she was about to see Gendry, waiting for her at the tree, to become her husband. 

There was an opening amongst the guests, a path for Arya and Jon to make their approach, as they began to walk down this path, she saw him, and her heart skipped, her stomach did a complete flip, and her cheeks flushed, seeing Gendry waiting for her, so handsome in his lord’s costume and cloak, smiling as she approached him, his smile widening as he got a better look at her. 

It had been a long time since she had reacted so vicerally to her betrothed. She suddenly remembered the _first_ time she had had such a reaction, watching him smith as a young girl... he'd been covered in soot and sweat, emphasizing his muscles as he worked. And then her mind flooded quickly with flashes of images from their entire life together up to that point. She suddenly remembered everything, and every image, every word, every detail came rushing through her nearly all at once, jumbled, overlapping, echoing in her head, as though she were briskly flipping through pages in a book... _“oh, you like picking on the little ones, do you?” … “How can someone so small be such a huge pain in my ass?”... “No one can know.”/ “They won’t. Not from me.”... “I should be calling you milady”/ “DO NOT call me milady!”/ “As milady commands…”... “Am I fighting someone?”/ “You’re practicing for a fight… you should practice right.”... “I never had a family.”/ “I can be your family.”... “Last time you saw me you wanted me to come to Winterfell. Took the long road but…”... “All I know is that you’re beautiful and I love you and none of it will be worth anything if you’re not with me. So be with me… Be my wife. Be the Lady of Storm’s End…”... “We build our own family, our own life, and we make our own rules. What do you say?”_

Overwhelmed, tears stung her eyes as she approached him. She looked up at him with an expression that must have looked like terrified sadness because suddenly Gendry looked worried. Even panicked. _Seven hells, he thinks I’ve changed my mind…_ she thought. So she smiled, as genuinely as she could, and tried to speak to him with her eyes, _No silly, I love you and I still want to be your wife…_ He must have heard her somehow because his face relaxed and he smiled again.

Sam Tarley stood before them, his round, cherub face smiling. They had asked Sam to preside over their marriage and had let him know ahead of time of a few changes they wanted to make to the traditional wedding ceremony. Sam assured them, as long as a few key moments of the ceremony remain in tact, they could make the changes they wanted and it wouldn’t be a problem.

The first part of the ceremony, introductions, needed to remain. Sam began, “Who comes before the Old Gods this day?”

Jon spoke up, “Arya, of House Stark, comes to be wed. She comes to beg the blessings of the gods. Who comes to wed her?”

It was Gendry’s turn to step forward, “Gendry of House Baratheon, heir to Storm’s End. Who gives her?”

“Aegon, of House Targaryen, her cousin, raised as her kin,” Jon looked at Arya and smiled, “her brother.” Arya smiled back at him. 

Sam continued, “Lady Arya, do you take this man?” Arya looked at Gendry and so much love rushed through her chest she could barely get the words out. She swallowed and said, “I take this man…” smiling at Gendry, tears stinging her eyes again.

Now came the first change to the ceremony they had requested. Sam asked Gendry, “Lord Gendry, do you take this woman?” Gendry looked lovingly at Arya, she could see him blinking back tears himself, he also swallowed and said, “I take this woman…”

Sam directed them to kneel before the weirwood tree for the ceremonial prayer to the gods. Then they stood and faced each other again.

Sam continued, “Please join hands.” Arya and Gendry joined their hands. Now came the next change they requested, the vows. A traditional Old Gods ceremony would only require the prayer to the gods, they wanted to combine the Old Gods ceremony with the Faith of the Seven, in honor of Arya’s mother. “Say the words,” Sam said.

Arya and Gendry recited the same vows together, “Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger. I am yours and you are mine, from this day until the end of my days." Then they simultaneously recited one more vow which they had also requested, “When the snows fall and the wind blows, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives." The crowd stirred a bit at this, muttering to each other, indistinctly, but neutral in tone, neither pleased or displeased by the change. Arya and Gendry just gave each other a knowing smile, their wedding ceremony would be just one of many parts from tradition people would come to notice from them.

Next, another requested change, the cloaking ceremony. Sam directed Gendry to cloak his bride. Gendry stepped close to Arya and removed the cloak she was wearing, handing it to her to hold. Arya turned. Then he removed his cloak and he gently draped his cloak around her shoulders. She turned back around and he helped fasten his cloak around her neck. 

Then Sam shocked everyone once again by asking Arya to cloak her groom. Audible gasps could be heard from the crowd. Standing before Arya, Gendry turned and knelt on one knee to make this easier for her. Arya took her cloak and draped it over his shoulders, then stepped around him to fasten her cloak around his neck. They grinned mischievously at each other and Gendry even winked at her which just made Arya smile wider. The change to the cloaking, in particular, was important to them. They wanted it to symbolize equality in their marriage, neither one dominating over the other. 

Once cloaked, Gendry stood up and they faced each other again, clasped their hands once more. Their mischievous smiles remained as the final requested change was about to be revealed to their guests. Sam addressed the couple, “the bride and groom may kiss each other…”

Arya and Gendry beamed and Gendry moved in quickly to kiss her, cupping her face in his hands and then dropping his arms around her waist and lifting her, spinning her around. He lowered her and they broke apart slowly, laughing together. 

All of the guests had cheered as they kissed and as the crowd began to settle down, Sam spoke again, loudly, with a rather large grin on his face, “May I present to all attending, Lady Arya Stark Baratheon and Lord Gendry Stark Baratheon of newly formed House Stark Baratheon, first of its name!”

A mixture of audible gasps and murmurs rose from the crowd before evolving into cheers for the newly married couple. Arya and Gendry hardly noticed the crowd response, so lost in each other, hands clasped, standing close, intermittently kissing, laughing, and smiling.

So caught up in each other, they’d forgotten they were supposed to lead the way to the feast held in the courtyard. Sam nudged them gently and they walked back down the aisle between their guests. Arya stopped to hug Sansa and Ser Brienne, Gendry shook hands and hugged Jon, his new brother-in-law, and Ser Davos, who had come to feel like a surrogate father to him.

Then, arms linked, Arya and Gendry began walking toward the courtyard, all guests following after.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Tyrion and Sansa had been standing close to each other during the ceremony. Finally able to talk, Tyrion fell next to her as they walked toward the courtyard with everyone else.

“Marrying for love. It’s an _interesting_ concept, don’t you think?” Tyrion snarked to Sansa.

“It will never catch on.” She retorted.

“No, I don’t suppose it will.”


	2. The Feast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya and Gendry's friends and family gather to celebrate their wedding. At the feast afterwards, many of the guests make new connections with old friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a bit of a departure for me because it is rather Gendrya-light. However, I had the idea that I could use the gathering of Arya and Gendry's wedding, in particular the feast, to try to give closure to even more characters who I felt also needed it after the series ended. This helped me heal a little bit more and I hope it will do the same for others as well. 
> 
> BIG thanks to @vellaword for giving me the idea to include Val and for helping me out with her characterization 😊
> 
> And, as always, thank you so much @Dystopian_Dramaqueen for not just proofing this for me but for your endless support and encouragement. It means so much to me 😘

Tyrion and Sansa watched along with all guests attending as Gendry led Arya into the center of the torch-lit dance circle. He pulled her close and kissed her softly as they began to dance slowly. Lost in each other, foreheads touching, smiling, whispering, laughing, and kissing intermittently. 

"Your sister made a good choice…" Tyrion closed his eyes, instantly regretting the words the second he said them. The word "choice" hanging in the air like a taunting echo. 

Sansa didn't react, she just looked affectionately at her sister dancing happily with the man she loves. Tyrion looked at Sansa's face, she was smiling softly but he saw sadness in her eyes, "I'm very happy for her," she said, "she chose the man she wanted to marry and I know she loves him and he loves her very much."

Despite the warmth of Sansa's words, Tyrion could hear the sadness in her voice. "You never had that. I am sorry." He said the last three words with deep sincerity. A tear brimmed in the corner of her eye and she quickly brushed it away. Across the courtyard, Tyrion saw Ser Podrick and Ser Brienne sitting at a table, talking and laughing over what appeared to be the drinking game he had taught Brienne after the Battle of Winterfell. Attempting to lift the mood and possibly help, Tyrion said, pouring more wine in Sansa's cup, "you know, Ser Podrick is a good young man, very kind, and, as I understand it, _quite_ a skillful lover…"

Sansa turned her head to look in Podrick's direction and smiled, turning back to Tyrion and taking a sip of her wine, "he's very sweet." She took another sip and looked softly at Tyrion over her cup. She continued to hold his gaze as she said, "So are you. I never properly thanked you for being so kind to me all those years ago."

Tyrion shook his head, "you were a 14-year-old girl forced to marry a 45-year-old dwarf. To take advantage of you then would've made me the monster everyone always thought I was."

"I never thought you were a monster. I've known real monsters."

Tyrion nodded, "yes, you have. All the more reason to consider Podrick." He tipped his cup in Pod's direction before taking another drink. 

Sansa held her gaze steady on Tyrion, "you seem to be unaware that I am actually considering you..."

Tyrion laughed, taking another drink of wine. Sansa did not laugh. She continued to look at him steadily and perhaps with even a bit of smolder. 

Stunned, Tyrion stared back at her, his look of bewilderment, "you're...serious..." it wasn't a question. 

"When was the last time you saw me joking?" Sansa said flatly.

He chuckled slightly, nervous, "you...told me that amusing story about how your sister used to sew sheep’s dung into your bed..."

"Yes...that probably was the last time..." Sansa's gaze remained serious, she was not joking at all.

Tyrion protested, delicately, "really Sansa... I'm probably old enough to be your grandfather at this point. You're still so young and beautiful and you deserve..."

She cut him off, "I'm tired of others choosing my men for me. For once, I want to make that choice for myself..." she reached for his hand, covering it with hers. By now, others had begun to fill into the dance circle. "Dance with me…" she said softly. 

Tyrion looked at her hand on his, considering all of this carefully. He sat up straight, facing her, placed his cup on the table and reached with his other hand to cover hers, looking her tenderly in the eye, "my dear… my Queen… I am flattered by this, truly… but…" his face showed a mixture of emotions as he was forced to remember his rather tortured past with love, his tone reflected this, he chose his words carefully and spoke slowly, "I am no stranger to pain and heartbreak myself… I think you are lovely, I always have, and I am quite certain if I allow myself to accept your invitation now I could easily find myself hopelessly in love with you tomorrow. And… perhaps… in the morning when the excitement and wine have worn off and you realize that this particular caterpillar will _never_ turn into a butterfly... I'm afraid I may never quite recover from that heartbreak…”

Sansa listened to every word and swallowed thickly before saying, "I understand your concern. But this isn't the wine and envy of my sister's happiness talking. I decided what I wanted before I made the journey down here. I decided that night we both thought we might die at Winterfell. I chose you _because_ you understand pain and because you are still kind and wise and brave. You're the best man I know, outside my brothers. I promise, I _will not_ change my mind tomorrow morning…" Sansa voice broke with emotion and she had quite genuine tears in her eyes as she finished. 

Tyrion, nearly moved to tears himself, nodded, finally relenting and stood up from the table to hold his hand out to Sansa, "in that case…" he winced, "are you quite sure about the dancing?"

Sansa smiled warmly at him, taking his hand, "would you prefer a walk?" 

Tyrion nodded, "a walk it is…"

________________________

"You...were...an only child!" Brienne said to Podrick.

"Drink!" He grinned back at her.

"Damnit!" Brienne took a drink out of her cup. 

Podrick narrowed his eyes, thinking, looking around the crowd, he spotted a table of people talking and laughing loudly. Jon Snow and his wife Val were amongst them, laughing, and at the center of it all, of no surprise to Podrick, was Tormund, mug of ale in one hand and gesturing dramatically with the other as he loudly told everyone a story. Podrick smirked, and finally said to Brienne, leaning forward, "you are secretly happy Tormund came and wish he would come over and ask you to dance…"

Brienne made an overly exaggerated disgusted face, _"What?!_ Don't be ridiculous!! Drink!" 

Podrick narrowed his eyes at her, looking confident, "I think you're lying...drink!"

"You're mad! And you're wrong...drink!"

Podrick held firm, shaking his head, "I've been watching you glance over at his table all night. Used to be, he wouldn't leave you alone, now he hasn't so much as looked at you all night and it bothers you…" Podrick leaned forward, narrowing his eyes again defiantly, " _...drink…_ "

Brienne fumed… "Blast!" and took a drink of her wine.

Podrick laughed, "Ha! I knew it!" 

"Oh, shut up! I don't want to play anymore!"

"Fine… so go ask him to dance, then…"

"Don't be stupid…"

"Why not?"

"Like you said… he clearly isn't interested anymore…"

"That's bollocks and you know it!"

Brienne fumed again at Podrick, "wine brings out an ugly side to you, I prefer you sober and silent!" 

Podrick just continued to grin at her, "go on!"

"Oh fine!" Brienne picked up her cup and finished the remaining wine in one gulp. Then she stood, shaking the table as she did so. She exhaled sharply through her nose and turned to face the table Tormund was boisterously entertaining with his stories. 

Podrick triumphantly watched Brienne walk hesitantly toward Tormund and then turned his head to a table next to his where Bronn was single-handedly entertaining three lovely ladies. Bronn caught his eye and nodded at him to join them. Podrick happily did so.

________________________

_How did I let him talk me into this?_ Brienne thought as she took a few steps towards Tormund's table. As she approached, Tormund looked up and spotted her. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he watched her approach. Tormund stood, "Ser Brienne!" he raised his mug abruptly, sloshing ale as he did so. 

Brienne walked up to him and stood silently in front of him for a few awkward moments. Finally, all she could muster to say was, "Ok!"

"Ok…?" a broad smile broke across Tormund's face, his eyebrows raised.

"Well? Shut up and dance with me before I change my mind!" Brienne said, irritated. 

Tormund laughed and thrust his mug at Jon, "hold my ale!" He offered his arm gallantly to Brienne, beaming at her, and she tentatively took it as he proudly walked her over to the circle, joining the other guests dancing to lively music. 

Brienne stood in front of him, awkwardly, as Tormund bowed dramatically in front of her and offered her his hand. She took it, immediately regretting her decision, and Tormund carefully wrapped his other hand around her waist, pulling her into a loose dancing position. Tormund took a couple steps with her and then began to pick up the pace, moving them around in circles, he actually seemed to know what he was doing. Before Brienne knew it, she was smiling, laughing even, as she actually began to enjoy herself. 

Brienne found herself asking loudly to be heard over the music, "where did you learn to dance?" 

Tormund laughed loudly, "other than fighting, hunting, drinking, and fucking... dancing is all there is to do up North!" Brienne genuinely laughed at this. 

Soon, she was matching him step for step and even allowed him to twirl her a few times. After a while she couldn't wipe the smile off her face and the only thing that irritated her anymore was that Podrick had been right…

________________________

Jon and Val smiled as they watched Tormund finally dancing with "the big woman." Val had received an ear full on the journey down about the magnificent, strong female knight who had broken Tormund's heart years before. 

In Tormund's absence, their table had suddenly fallen quiet. Soon, Sam, Gilly and their three children came over to join them. Jon recognized young Sam who looked to be about 6 years old now, next to young Sam was a younger boy, about 3, and Gilly was carrying a young girl, about a year old.

"Sam!" Jon smiled and stood to hug him and Gilly. "I don't think you've met my wife yet… this is Val. Val, Sam and Gilly are a couple of my best friends…"

Val stood to hug both Sam and Gilly, "of course! Jon speaks of you often! I'm so happy to finally meet you!" Val's beautiful, long blonde hair was fashioned into a thick braid that rested over one shoulder. She settled back down next to Jon as they gestured for the family to join them.

"Now…" Jon started, looking at the children, "I remember young Sam, but haven't met the little ones…"

"Well…" Sam looked at Gilly, smiling, "Gilly is holding little Lyanna and this…" Sam lifted the younger boy and sat him on his lap, the boy shyly burying his face into Sam's chest, "is young Jon…" Sam looked up at his friend, a warm smile on his face.

_"Jon?"_ Jon asked, visibly shocked and moved by this.

Sam nodded, still smiling, "I couldn't think of anyone else I wanted to honor more than my best friend…"

"Sam…" was all Jon could say in response. 

"That's so lovely!" Val said warmly. 

Sam gestured towards Val, "and you two are expecting as well, I understand!"

Jon turned to smile at Val and placed his hand on her belly, she covered his hand with hers in response, smiling back at him. "Yes," Jon said, "a few more months…" he looked at Sam, and said, lightly apologetically, "sorry Sam, if it's a boy we've already decided on a name… Eddard, after father."

Sam nodded, approvingly, "that sounds about right…"

Jon looked across to the far end of the courtyard where Arya and Gendry were seated, their food in front of them, but they seemed too distracted to touch it. Gendry was holding her face and kissing her tenderly. He moved to either kiss or whisper in her ear, either way, Arya laughed and used the short break to grab a bit of bread and stuff it in her mouth. They looked deliriously happy. 

Jon smiled at them, "anyway, I figure I should stake a claim to father's name first before they get started on their pack…" nodding at the happy couple. 

Everyone followed Jon's gaze. "Oh, they look _so_ _happy…_ " Gilly said.

"Yes… you don't often see such real love at noble weddings…" Sam observed.

"Why is that?" Val asked, she seemed confused. 

Jon spoke up, "most of the time, the lord a lady marries is chosen for her, by her father as a way to form an alliance between noble houses. Usually, the couples barely know each other and certainly don't love each other."

"That's awful!" Val exclaimed. 

Jon nodded in agreement, "Arya never wanted to marry when she was young. She wanted to choose her own life for herself." He looked over at Arya again, it looked like she was finally managing to eat something, she was ravenously shoveling food into her mouth with a fork and she and Gendry were laughing about something. Jon smiled at her again, "it seems she's done both..."

Sam smiled at Jon and Val, "so how did you two meet?"

Jon and Val looked at each other and shared a soft, knowing laugh, “um...slowly…” Jon said. 

Val interjected, “he means that I had traveled and lived with the Wildling group with him and Tormund for a whole year before he even noticed me!”

Jon smiled but a bit of sadness touched his voice, “well, I wasn’t noticing much of anything or anyone for a good while after I headed north of the Wall…” Jon trailed off and Val squeezed his hand, looking at him with warmth and understanding.

Val continued their story, “...then one day I was out hunting and nearly took Jon’s head off with my arrow as a wild boar was getting away!” she laughed and Jon laughed with her, coming back into the conversation.

“I still think you were aiming for me!” Jon teased.

Val laughed harder, “if I had been aiming for you I wouldn’t have missed!” Sam and Gilly laughed along with them.

Jon continued, “anyway… Val helped bring me back… I’d fallen deep into darkness… never thought I’d ever come back from it... and little by little she brought me back into the light…” Jon smiled at her, “we were married a year later…” Jon looked around them, “nothing quite so grand as all this! But it was very nice…” 

Val began to stand, “well I think we’re out of wine and I’m going to go fetch some more…” she looked at Gilly, “would you like to join me?”

Gilly nodded and stood, still holding little Lyanna, as the two women left the table, leaving Jon and Sam alone with the boys.

Sam watched the women leave, still smiling, “look at us… a couple of old married men, fathering children…" Sam leaned a bit over the table towards Jon, a cheeky grin on his face, "so much for our Night’s Watch vows!”

Jon laughed, taking a drink of his wine, “yeah… well, those were always going to be hard vows to keep. Anyway... _‘Our Watch has ended!’..._ ” Jon laughed, drinking more wine.

Sam smiled at his friend, “it’s good to see you so happy. I like Val, she seems wonderful…”

“Thanks Sam… she is. I don’t deserve her, but she is wonderful…” Jon’s face darkened again, “I don’t know what I would’ve done without her…”

Sam sensed Jon’s mind had gone back to a very dark place, probably a place that would forever haunt Jon. That kind of pain, never really leaves a person, but one can find ways to cope and carry on. Sam raised his cup toward Jon, “...well here’s to the wonderful women who have saved us both, and hoping we never know a life without them!” Jon smiled at his friend and shared his toast. 

Just then, Val and Gilly returned with more wine. “Toasting without us! That’s a bit rude!” Val said as she sat back down next to Jon, filling Jon and Sam’s cups. 

Jon shared a smile with Sam and then pulled Val close to kiss her temple, “don’t worry, that was only one of many more to come…”

________________________

The festivities continued late into the night. Arya and Gendry had found a spot, slightly removed but not too far from where all of their guests still danced and feasted, talking and laughing. They were sitting under a tree, Gendry’s arm around Arya, pulling her against his chest. The fingers of their left hands were entwined and Arya’s right hand was laced through Gendry’s fingers hanging over her shoulder. They were silent, watching everyone. 

Arya, who had lost track of Sansa hours ago, finally saw her across the courtyard. She and Tyrion had walked in from the outside and took a seat next to each other on a bench. They seemed to be talking very intimately about something. Suddenly Arya gasped as she saw Sansa take Tyrion’s face in her hands and kiss him, slowly and sweetly. 

Gendry saw it too, “Is that…?”

“Yes…”

“Well… they look happy! They deserve it, both of them…”

Arya’s shock wore off quickly and she smiled, agreeing with her husband, “yes they do… I want my sister to be as happy as I am…” Arya chuckled as she caught sight of Ser Brienne and Tormund sitting at a table, talking and laughing. She nodded her head towards them, “looks like another happy couple over there…”

Gendry chuckled, “Good for him! And her!”

Arya turned her head up to look at her handsome husband, "What was it you once said about never having had a family?"

~

Gendry smiled warmly down at her, tears welled in his eyes, a bit overwhelmed. She was right, he had spent so much of his life feeling alone in the world. No real family, no real home. He now had more friends and family around him than he’d ever dreamed possible. He was the lord of a kingdom living in a castle. And most of all, the love of his life was now his wife. And yet, this was still just the beginning. He pressed his lips to her forehead for a few long, slow moments, pulling her even closer to him, enveloping her in his arms, her head tucking just under his chin. 

There were still several people dancing to spirited music in the torch lit circle. The lively music ended and the band changed the mood by playing a slower, softer song, a familiar song… and suddenly over the din of chatter and laughter, a lovely voice could be heard singing along to the music. It was Podrick, quite inebriated with his arm around the shoulders of a lovely young lady who was cradled against him and smiling as he sang…

  


_My featherbed is deep and soft,_

_and there I'll lay you down,_

_I'll dress you all in yellow silk,_

_and on your head a crown._

As Podrick sang, the other guests gradually began to hush their chatter and laughter as everyone listened…

Arya turned her head up to look at Gendry again, he looked down at her and they smiled at each other.

_For you shall be my lady love,_

_and I shall be your lord._

_I'll always keep you warm and safe,_

_and guard you with my sword._

Arya’s smile faded and her eyes smoldered at him. Gendry raised his eyebrows at her and mouthed, _“Now?”_ Arya nodded as her eyes darkened further and her lips parted, looking at him hungrily...

_And how she smiled and how she laughed,_

_the maiden of the tree._

_She spun away and said to him,_

_no featherbed for me._

Arya lifted her right hand, still laced in Gendry’s fingers, over her head as she stood up, Gendry stood up with her, smiling warmly at his lovely wife. They glanced around them, wanting to steal away as quietly as possible, hoping to be unnoticed.

_I'll wear a gown of golden leaves,_

_and bind my hair with grass,_

_But you can be my forest love,_

_and me your forest lass_

They carefully made their way along the trees surrounding the courtyard until they reached the end closest to the castle entrance, stealing inside quickly, away from their loving friends and family and the sounds of merriment as everyone continued to happily celebrate their loving union.

________________________

Arya and Gendry had not quite managed to exit entirely unnoticed. Ser Davos watched them leave from across the courtyard. He sipped his wine quietly, happy for the young couple. Finally the boy had wed. Though, hard as Davos had tried to find a bride for Gendry, he could not take credit for this. Davos reflected on his years of frustration over the boy’s seeming stubborn impertinence, refusing every lady presented to him. But Gendry had known better than to try to offer what he did not have to give. Only Arya had claim to his heart, and clearly it was the same for her. Davos raised his cup in silent toast to them as they retreated into the castle, thinking to himself, _would that we all find such perfect happiness..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Featherbed Song" - George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)
> 
> Next chapter is back to Gendrya in a big way!! 
> 
> Stay tuned for Chapter 3: Unspeakable Things


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